Thailand Launches the Country’s First Endangered Shark Rewilding Initiative to Recover Leopard Sharks

Juvenile leopard sharks in their transitional sea pen habitat as they acclimate before their release to the wild.

A major new initiative to bring endangered Indo-Pacific leopard sharks back to Thailand’s waters has officially launched.

Known for their graceful movements and distinctive spotted patterns, leopard sharks once thrived along Thailand’s coastlines, regularly spotted by divers and snorkelers. But over the last two decades, their numbers have plummeted, driven by overfishing, bycatch, and the degradation of coral reefs.

The StAR (Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery) Project Thailand is working to reverse that decline. Through a first-of-its-kind rewilding effort, the project aims to rebuild wild populations of this endangered species, helping to restore balance to marine ecosystems where these key predators play a vital role.

Led by a multi-sector coalition — including Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), Department of Fisheries (DoF), Aquaria Phuket, Maiton Resort, WildAid, Ocean Blue Tree, and Thai Sharks and Rays — the StAR Project represents a major step forward for shark and ray conservation in the region.

The StAR Project was initiated by ReShark, an international coalition of over 100 conservation organizations, large public aquariums, government agencies, and more, to recover threatened sharks and rays around the world by re-establishing healthy, genetically diverse, and self-sustaining populations.

The StAR Project Thailand began last year with the continuation of “Spot the leopard shark – Thailand”, a citizen science project that invites the diving community to submit photos and videos of leopard shark sightings taken in Thai waters. To date, the initiative has collected over 1,332 photos and identified 278 individual leopard sharks between 2004 and 2025, which has helped scientists better understand population trends and shark habitats.

“As shark and ray populations continue to decline, recovery remains challenging due to their slow growth, late maturity, and low reproduction,” said Metavee Chuangcharoendee, Project Manager of StAR Project Thailand, WildAid. “Rewilding offers a vital lifeline and the boost needed for the population to recover — but we must face the alarming state of sharks and rays and take urgent action to reduce our direct and indirect impacts, from overfishing to habitat destruction.”

Thailand is one of the most important habitats for leopard sharks in the region. Two of its marine areas — the Phi Phi Islands and the Similan-Surin Archipelago — are now recognized as Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) by the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Yet, sightings of leopard sharks in these once-familiar waters have become rare.

The StAR team and Aquarists from Aquaria Phuket prepare nine juvenile leopard sharks for their transition from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources’ facility to sea pen, a key step in their rewilding journey.

Nine Sharks Embark on Their Rewilding Journey

The first cohort of nine juvenile leopard sharks — bred by the expert aquarist team at Aquaria Phuket, part of the Aquawalk Group — has officially begun their rewilding journey. These young sharks, between two months and one year old, were recently transferred from the Phuket Marine Biological Center, under the DMCR, to a custom-built sea pen at Maiton Resort, located just off the southeast coast of Phuket Province.

This transitional habitat will serve as a kind of “rewilding school,” designed to help the sharks gradually acclimate to natural conditions while remaining in a safe and controlled environment. Over the coming months, aquarists will closely monitor the sharks’ behavior, encourage natural foraging by scattering and hiding food, and allow the sharks to interact with their environment — all to build the instincts they’ll need to survive in the wild.

“The DMCR has been actively monitoring leopard shark populations and has successfully advocated for their designation as a protected species in Thailand,” said Pinsak Suraswadi, Director-General of the DMCR. “In collaboration with partner organizations, we’ve raised hatchlings in captivity and trained them to adapt in sea pens modeled after natural environments.”

To ensure the long-term success of the StAR Project, the coalition is also conducting a Population Viability Analysis to forecast population trends, assess extinction risk, and inform science-based reintroduction plans. This includes identifying potential release sites, determining the number of sharks needed to support a stable wild population, and establishing post-release monitoring protocols.

In addition, genetic testing has confirmed that the parent sharks at Aquaria Phuket — the first facility in Thailand to successfully breed Indo-Pacific leopard sharks — share the same genetic strain as those historically found in Thai waters. This ensures the released population will support local genetic diversity and ecosystem integrity.

A juvenile leopard shark learns to forage for food in the sea pen at Maiton Resort.

Long-term Government Commitments for Shark Recovery

Recently, WildAid and Ocean Blue Tree, as implementing partners of the StAR Project Thailand, led a workshop to build capacity in shark data collection techniques among three key government agencies: the DMCR, DNP, and DoF. This training reflects a broader commitment by project partners to expand conservation efforts beyond vulnerable species like the leopard shark, toward safeguarding entire ecosystems through stronger habitat protection and long-term monitoring.

That shift is already underway. The DNP and DoF are supporting the identification of future shark release sites and contributing to the development of post-release monitoring protocols. Area-based conservation is also gaining traction through initiatives like the Maya Shark Watch project — a collaboration between DNP and researchers from Thai Sharks and Rays — which has shown that when research is paired with effective habitat protection, shark populations can recover.

Next, the StAR Project will enter its second phase: tagging the nine juvenile leopard sharks before their initial release to allow scientists to track their movements in the wild. These efforts mark a promising step forward — not just for the recovery of an endangered species, but for the long-term resilience of Thailand’s marine ecosystems.

StAR Project partners pose for a photo following a successful launch of the project in Phuket Province, Thailand.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Metaveee Chuangcharoendee, Project Manager, StAR Project – Thailand, WildAid, Tel: +6681 8219612 | Email: metavee@wildaid.org

Nuthatai Chotechuang, Thailand Program Director, WildAid, Tel: +6681 818 9251 | Email: nuthatai@wildaid.org

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